6649. Do a virtual 5K

I keep seeing Virtual 5Ks on Facebook sponsored by various companies with really cool medals. I want a really cool medal but to get the really cool medal it would cost me $30+ and I get no post race buffet. I kept contemplating which one to do Harry Potter? Sesame Street? Star Wars? I almost signed up for a pizza one on Pi Day because it was like $3 but we weren't planning on being back from vacation yet. 

Then I happened to see Silver Circle Sports Events offer a free 5K due to the Corona Virus. I've ran with Silver Circle when I did the Pi Run back in 2016. I figured I could walk a 5K. 

So I did. I had the same goals.. finish in under an hour and don't finish last. I worried about finishing last since most of the Silver Circle participants are hard core runners and I figured there weren't too many turtles out there. 

I ended up doing the 5K in 50:53. Not bad for walking most of it. I think the wind helped a bit. 

I even made my own Medal from Shrinky Dinks I had left. Somehow I still haven't mastered the whole shrinky dinks because it has some serious curling on the edges going on. I managed to make it look okay. 

One day I will fork out the cash to do a Virtual 5K with a really cool medal but until then I will keep doing these Virtual 5Ks as long as the weather lets me. Maybe one day I will break the 40 minute mark.. I know Pipe Dreams.

4730. Do the Rudolph run in Neenah

For the last couple of years, I have wanted to do the Rudolph Run in Neenah. It either fell on a day that didn't work since I was going to basketball or I just never signed up. This year I decided I was going to do it.

The Rudolph Run in is the first Friday in December and is probably one of the shortest runs I'll ever do. It is a fun run from Shattuck Park to the Christmas Tree in Plexus Square.. about a total of 4 blocks. It is also the cheapest run I'll do as it's $5 a person. It is not timed but a fun run/walk for families before the Tree Lighting.

This year the Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Santa float lead the way down Wisconsin Avenue. I actually ran most of the way. I started to walk the last block until the T-Rex passed me and I was like I can't be beat by a T-Rex... Yup.. I was.. The T-Rex beat me. All in all I finished the .25 course in about 3.5 minutes. I definitely was not the last one.

It was fun little run. Danielle was cheering me on at the end (with my coat). Heck, it might become a yearly tradition. Next year I won't let myself get beat by a T-Rex though.

#5995 -- Do a Glo Run

Glow Sticks?
Black Lights?
Fun obstacles?

Sounds like a big o'd party.

Sounds like fun.

And that was what the Glo-Run was supposed to be. There was supposed to party zones and fun obstacles not to mention an after party. That is not what we got. It was LAME. I was not impressed. It was not worth the $30 entry fee. It did go to a good cause -- SOAR but it was not as advertised. My first clue should have been the packet pick up -- a cheap plastic US Cellular bag, a cheap t-shirt, 2 safety pins instead of 4, and no chip timer. I can live without it being timed but everything was not as promised.

Glow sticks -- 1 necklace and 1 bracelet came in our race bag. I picked up some additional necklaces and bracelets at Target. We did get a couple more necklaces and bracelets on the course but not enough to make me glow.

My pile of glow rings after the race. Most I bought.

Black Lights -- Pretty sure I didn't see any these.

Fun Obstacles -- Unless you count trying not get ran over by the firefighters as they arrived at the Fire Station for a fire call at the beginning of the race or avoiding the other runners as they were on their way back (the course doubled back), there were no fun obstacles.

Party zones -- there was a couple "music" stations at various points but no partying. The biggest one was at the halfway point but again no partying was going on.

After party -- I was promised lasers, glow sticks, and black lights. Maybe if we stuck around after everyone finished, there would have been that but like most people, we had our beer and headed home. Every one got 2 drink tickets -- either beer or soda. It was Budweiser products.

The start of the race was not very organized. Even when the firefighters were trying to get to the station, they didn't stop the runners and let the cars into the station. The cars had to dodge people. We were past the station before the first truck left so I don't even want to imagine that fiasco. The whole doubling back wasn't a great idea as the path over the highway got very congested. The last mile or so was not very lighted. They had a glow sticks stuck in the ground leading the way but it was still very dark.

My unofficial time was 50:38. Not too shabby despite the lackluster event.